Today, Sarah and Beth start a discussion about the potential Netflix-Warner Bros. merger and zoom out to talk about how our culture is driven by algorithms instead of ideas.
So much of our economy is moving from physical spaces where we work, gather, and play to a world where we do everything: buy/watch/stream/access/comment/communicate/date/work/dream through apps.
We spend a tremendous amount of our time and attention on screens. Today, we’re talking about what we’ve given up in the process, and how we want to treasure and celebrate the gems we’ve picked up along the way.
Topics Discussed
The Netflix, Warner Bros., Paramount Love Triangle
Art and the Algorithmic Economy
Outside of Politics: Sean Duffy wants you to look nice when you fly
Want more Pantsuit Politics? Subscribe to ensure you never miss an episode and get access to our premium shows and community.
Episode Resources
Pantsuit Politics Resources
Send your Pantsuit Politics Bestie a Personalized Video Message from Sarah and Beth (save 10% with code HOLIDAYCHEER through the end of December)
Netflix (maybe) Buys Warner Bros.
Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros. Following the Separation of Discovery Global (Netflix)
Paramount Launches Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. (The Hollywood Reporter )
Golden Globes Nominations 2026: Complete Nominees List (The Hollywood Reporter)
The Power of Algorithms
Opinion | How My Retirement Savings Are Betraying America (The New York Times)
We Bought a 450-Pound Mystery Pallet Packed With Returned Goods From Amazon and Beyond. Here’s What We Found Inside. (Wirecutter | New York Times)
Kentucky’s $22 Million Basketball Roster Looks Like a Dud (Front Office Sports)
Opinion | Pay Attention to How You Pay Attention (Ezra Klein | The New York Times)
Bleak Friday Reel:
Sean Duffy on Airport Fashion
The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You: Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Unveils New Civility Campaign Ahead of Busy Holiday Travel Season (US Deptartment of Transportation)
Episode Transcript
Coming soon…
Show Credits
Pantsuit Politics is hosted by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. The show is produced by Studio D Podcast Production. Alise Napp is our Managing Director and Maggie Penton is our Director of Community Engagement.
Our theme music was composed by Xander Singh with inspiration from original work by Dante Lima.
Our show is listener-supported. The community of paid subscribers here on Substack makes everything we do possible. Special thanks to our Executive Producers, some of whose names you hear at the end of each show. To join our community of supporters, become a paid subscriber here on Substack.
To search past episodes of the main show or our premium content, check out our content archive.
This podcast and every episode of it are wholly owned by Pantsuit Politics LLC and are protected by US and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. We hope you'll listen to it, love it, and share it with other people, but not with large language models or machines and not for commercial purposes. Thanks for keeping it nuanced with us.
Connected thought... notice how almost all game shows that were all the rage decades ago mostly now only have celebrities. We all loved watching these game shows because we could see everyday people winning prizes with the most imperfect and genuine selves. We watched imagining ourselves one day being on there...
... and now it's all about what influencer or has-been celebrity they can get on there to provide entertainment without actual engagement with your base.
I don’t think I’ve ever disagreed with an entire episode before. Ugh… I have zero interest in being challenged in my entertainment choices. I want rom-coms and a hero who saves America. This probably explains why Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond are on a loop in my house. And why Top Gun Maverick was the last great movie I saw in the theatre. As for air travel, I’m not going to look sloppy, but I am going to be comfortable - comfy pants, a loose sweater, closed-toed shoes.